Choosing a college is difficult. While there are plenty of resources to help students estimate hard costs, it can be hard to understand which features make one school a better fit than another.
The U.S. News & World Report annual ranking helps make this process a little easier. The publication has long tracked and analyzed data from hundreds of schools, studying metrics such as graduation rate, retention rate and class size. For the first time, the rankings will also consider a school's ability to promote the social mobility of low-income students. The list also features a four-way tie for third place.
Once again, Princeton University topped U.S. News' rankings of the best universities thanks to a perfect 100 out of 100 overall score and an impressive five-to-one student-to-faculty ratio.
Common among these top-ranked institutions are sky-high first-year retention and graduation rates. These figures are often overlooked by prospective students but are incredibly important when considering colleges.
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that just 40 percent of first-time full-time students earn a bachelor's degree in four years, and only 59 percent earn their bachelor's in six years.
Since students often struggle to graduate on-time, they are forced to pay for extra years of college which can quickly increase the cost of their degree.
While not all students will attend one of this year's top-ranked 6 schools, understanding the traits these institutions share can go a long way toward selecting a university that serves them best in the long term.
With these factors in mind, here are the top 6 schools in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report:
3. Columbia University (tie)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 6,113
Tuition and fees (2017-2018): $57,208
Average first-year student retention rate: 99 percent
Graduation rate: 96 percent
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (tie)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 4,524
Tuition and fees (2017-2018): $49,892
Average first-year student retention rate: 99 percent
Graduation rate: 94 percent
3. University of Chicago (tie)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 5,941
Tuition and fees (2017-2018): $54,825
Average first-year student retention rate: 99 percent
Graduation rate: 93 percent
3. Yale University (tie)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 5,472
Tuition and fees (2017-2018): $51,400
Average first-year student retention rate: 99 percent
Graduation rate: 97 percent
2. Harvard University
Total undergraduate enrollment: 6,710
Tuition and fees (2017-2018): $48,949
Average first-year student retention rate: 97 percent
Graduation rate: 96 percent
1. Princeton University
Total undergraduate enrollment: 5,400
Tuition and fees (2017-2018): $47,140
Average first-year student retention rate: 98 percent
Graduation rate: 97 percent
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